Airplane landing gear



Oct. 28, 1930. T. CARROLL AIRPLANE LANDING GEAR Filed Feb. 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 28, `1930. T. CARROLL AIRPLANE LANDING. GEAR Filed Feb. 2 SheetsSheet 2 /N VE /v Tor' 2770777626 C 7701] @JWM Panarea Oct. 2s, 1930 THOMAS CARROLL, OF HAMPTON, AVIRGIN'IA i AIBPLANE LANDING am Application mea rebrualy 18,1928. serial N0. 255,312.

This invention relates to aeronautics, but

more particularly to landing gears for air planes, and has for "its object to provide a device of this class for amphibious `aircraft -I5 capable of taking off or landing from either land or water. v e

A further object of the invention is-t provide a landing gear for such aircraft in which the act of raising ther landing wheels,` automatically locates the loats in operative position, and in which theact of raising the ioats automatically locates the landingwheels in operative position. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a landing gear for such aircraft in which the selective positioning of the wheels or floats can be instantly'accomplished while the air- Y craft is in flight or in the water. 'l y A further object of the invention is to provide a landing gear for such aircraft which is of light weight, simple and inexpensive toy construct and attach, and which is strong, durable and eliicient.

With these and other objects in view., the

invention consists ofthe novel coordination of the landing wheels and floats; in the novel .means for selectively positioning the same,

Y and in 'certain novel details of construction and combination ofv parts, all of which will be flrstfully described 'and afterwards specifically pointed out in the appended claims. l

Referring to the accompanying drawings:V

Figure 1 is a'diagrammatic front eleva'- tion of the invention illustrating the' landing wheels in operative position'in full lines, and the Boats in inoperative position in ldotted lines; and

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the 40 floats in operative position in full lines, and the landing wheels in inoperative position in dotted lines. p' A Like numerals of -reference indicate the same parts throughout theseveral ligures, in which: 1

1v indicates the fuselageiof'an airplaneof any type, and 2 indicates the landing gearf which includes the ioats 3, which in the type I have. illustrated. embodyl a transversely crowned deck 4, and a V-bottom 5, and 6 indicates the landing wheels of any approved or conventional type. l

Centrally of the crowned deck 4 of the iioat 3, I hinge at 7, the main supporting member 8 for the landing gear, which member 8 is also hingedly connected to the airplane, l, at 9, r

so that said member can assume the two positions shown in full and in dotted lines in the drawing.

a 10 Yindicates a combined .spacer-barand.

4supporting member which consists of two sections hinged together at 1'1, the outer por- I tions of said sections beingixed tothe said -iioats 3. Hingedly fixed within each of the said. floats at 12, and preferably to the mem ber 10, is'the Wheel-axle 13, upon which the wheel 6 is mounted, said axle extending inwardly ofthe oat 3-to a point 14 at which 4it is hingedly attached to a shock absorbing unit 15 also hingedly connected to the member 10 Vat the point 16 within the float 3.l

The foregoing structure completes the assembly, though I have purposely refrained from illustratingin thev drawing and de scribing herein any structural bracing, as

obviously the character and extent of the samewould depend on thesizeand type of the airplane, and` consequently the same must beadapted to conditions as theyl are found ,to exi i* Having thus described one example of structu're for carrying my inventive purpose into effect, its operation is as follows:

In order to bring the' landing wheels 6 .into operative position, the hinged member 10 is retracted. by any suitable operating means (not shown) into its uppermost position so'that the hinged ends of its two sections lie snugly against the body of the fuselage,.so that the'said two sections of the member 10 are rigidly supported in such extrelne retracted' position. This operation rotates the floats 3 on their lpivotal connections ,7, and carries the. assembly intov position.

shown in full lines in'Figure 1, raising the floats 3 and locating the landing wheels in operative position as shown in said figure. When the gear is in"this)position, the sec- -tions of the member 10 act as secondary supporting members in 'connection with' the position as shown in Figure 2. When in this position, the member 10 becomes a spacer-bar for the floats and establishes the said floats in their proper relative position.

" Any suitable float and skid arrangement may be employed for supporting the tail portion of the fuselage.

Having thus fully described the invention,

I do not wish to be understood as limiting' myself to the exact construction herein set forth, as various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I consider myself clearly entitled to all such changes and modifications as fall within the limit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Aidevice of the character described including a pair of floats, a pair of landing Wheels and means for locating either the oats or the wheels in operative position, said means including a main supporting member for each float hingedly secured to an airplane at its upper end, hinging means connected to the oat at the lower end of the support ing member, a combined supporting and spac-I ing member formed of two sections hingedly connected together, the outer end portion of A whereby movement of the said sections of which sections are fixed in said floats, a wheel axle pivoted in each of said floats, and a shock absorbing' unit connecting each wheel axle with the adjacent section of said supporting and spacing member at, a point. within the space defined by the float, the whole arranged the supporting and spacing member rotates the said floats and wheels-on the hinged connections of said floats to selectively locate either floats or wheels in operative position.

2. A device of the character described in" cluding a pair of floats, a pair of landing wheels and means for locating either the floats or the. Wheels in operative position, said means including a main supporting member for each float hingedly secured to an aircraft necting each wheel" axle withthe adjacent` section of said supporting and spacing member, the whole arranged whereby movement of the said sections of the supporting and spacing member rotates the said Hoats `and wheels on the hinged connections `of said floats.

to selectively locate either floats or wheels in operative position.

a A device of the character described in;

cluding a pair of floats, a 'pair of landing wheels and means for locating either thefloats or the Wheels in operative position,` said means including a main supporting member for each float secured to an aircraft at'its upper end, hinging means connected to the float at the lower end of the supporting member, movable supporting and spacing means fixed in said floats, a wheel axle `pivotedin each of said floats, and a shock absorbing unit A connecting each wheel axle with the supporting and spacing means, the whole arranged whereby movement of the. supporting and spacing means rotates the said ioats and wheels on the hinged connections of said floats to selectively locate either' floats or wheels in operative position.

4. A device of the character described including spaced floats, spaced landing Wheels, axles therefor ixed to and movable with said floats, means for hingedly connecting said floats to an aircraft, a collapsible combined supporting and spacing member in connection with the wheel axles at points 'Within said floats, and means for moving said'floats and wheels to selectively locate either floats" or wheels in operative position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.V

THOMAS CARROLL.

at its upper end, hinging means connected Lto the float at the lower end, a combined supporting and spacing member formed of two sections hingedly connected together, the outer end portions of which sections are fixed in said Hoats, a wheel axle pivoted in each of said floats, and a shock absorbing unit con- 

